Strolling Down Champs Elysees

The Arc de Triomphe

With the main sights on my to-do list completed, it was time for a relatively leisurely jaunt through Paris on my last full day in the City of Lights.

Le Depart de 1792 or La Marseillaise

I started off at the Arc de Triomphe and again was pleased the metro system is so efficient and the exits take you right to the tourist spots.

When I emerged from the metro, the arch was a block away and I wondered how to get there when I saw an underpass nearby. In the tunnel there was a long lineup -- to get into the Arc de Triomphe and climb up to see the sights.

Again having been up the Eiffel Tower, going up the arch seemed redundant and felt I had more to do than wait in line. However the perspective from this point would be interesting as the place was originally known as Place de l'Etoile because a dozen streets emanate from it like a star.

The arch is beautiful, with its floral detailing on the ceiling and walls. The tribute to Napoleon's soldiers is extraordinary and successive leaders have used this monument to commemorate their generals in battle. In the middle lies the grave of the unknown soldier from World War I with the eternal flame and flowers around it.

Outside the Louis Vuitton boutique

What was also striking were the four main sculptures on each of the sides. They are titled: Le Depart de 1792 otherwise known as La Marseillaise by Francois Rude; Le Triomphe de 1810 by Jean-Pierre Cortot; La Resistance de 1814; and La Paix de 1815, both by Antoine Etex.

While Emperor Napoleon commissioned the arch in 1806 after his victory in Austerlitz, it wasn't completed until 1836 under the reign of King Louis-Philippe.

From there I walked east down Champs Elysees and passed by some famous restaurants including L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon and Pierre Gagnaire's Pierre.

Pierre's menu seemed very exotic including langoustines with the foam of steamed dim sum? Wondered what that smelled like -- with enoki, radish and turnips with rice vinegar. Sounds intriguing.

And yes this is also where all the high-end fashion brands are situated. I walked into Louis Vuitton and was very surprised to see no line up outside nor the swarms of mainland Chinese I had read about months before who are all .

The original Guerlain store on Champs Elysees

Instead the situation inside was very civilized and people from Americans to Japanese were eager to buy wallets and bags. The store is designed such that you go up an escalator to the third floor and must wind your way back down through women's wear, men's wear, jewellery, and other accessories before making it back to the ground floor. Very clever.

However I was surprised not to find any historical links with the brand to the founder, but perhaps people come here to shop, not to look at a museum.

I saw a Marriott hotel and it seemed like some VIPs were in there with two rows of young people in uniform and adults dressed up in some kind of military parade gear. Perhaps US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton? I'd seen her on the television news in the morning while eating breakfast as she was in Paris to discuss the situation in Syria.

However, after waiting for some time and not really knowing who we were waiting to come out, I gave up and looked around Sephora next door. When I came out, the crowd was still there, waiting.

Waiting for some VIPs to come out of the Marriott hotel

Also next to the hotel is Guerlain and I'm surprised to see Michelle Yeoh is the brand's new ambassador. However she's a good fit as she speaks perfect English, very stylish and can communicate the essence of Guerlain to Asia. It's heartening to see confidence in more mature women, but honestly could you see someone like Zhang Ziyi or Fan Bingbing pitching the brand?

Then further down the street there are the likes of Lacoste, Zara and Benetton.

By the time I reached the obelisk, which was originally from the tomb of Ramses III in Luxor, Champs Elysees seemed somewhat underwhelming. Nevertheless, an interesting fact is tat where the obelisk stands is where the guillotine was, and where Louis XVI was beheaded in January 1793.

The obelisk where the guillotine used to be

His last words?

"May my blood bring happiness to France".

Words to ruminate on...

Adrenalin Rush up Eiffel Tower

The glowing landmark of Paris

After visiting the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay I didn't expect to have much energy left, but I must have had a major infusion of adrenalin to go to the Eiffel Tower.

When I arrived there was a notice saying due to technical problems, only one lift was working and there was a massive line for those who did not reserve a ticket.

However on the other side at the bottom of the tower was a relatively shorter line and for 5 euros you could climb up the stairs up to the second stage.

Why not?

Around 9pm it was still daylight with a good view of the city

And as long as you kept a steady pace it wasn't too difficult, but you did work up a bit of a sweat. In the end it was worth the climb. From the first stage, it was great to be able to see Paris from above and the guide of faded photographs at different points indicated what you were seeing.

And then I climbed up further to the second stage, and the distance wasn't as long as the first. The view was marginally better – the Arc de Triomphe stuck out more whereas it was just visible above the other buildings earlier.

Just as I was taking a picture a guy tapped me on the shoulder and asked, "Are you wearing Lululemon?"

I turned around to see a Persian guy with long wavy hair and long nose. When I affirmed that I was wearing the Vancouver brand of yoga gear, he further asked where I was from and was thrilled to meet someone he could speak English with.

Ominous clouds threaten to cover Paris as night falls

He seemed overexcited which was disconcerting, but I quickly warmed up to his eagerness to connect. Turns out Bijan was starting a job in a law firm in September and was now traveling the world.

I looked down at his feet and he was wearing brown Vibrams that looked soaked.

"Aren't your feet wet?" I asked.

"Yeah but I don't care. I'm in Paris!" he exclaimed.

I helped him take some pictures and he took some for me too.

While he said his plan was to travel western and eastern Europe and Israel, he was keen to hit Hong Kong too.

Hong Kong without going to China, I asked?

The 33 year old then said it was a possibility if he had enough money, but stated Hong Kong was one city he wanted to check out.

I gave him my business card just in case he did fly over, as he made his flight plans two days in advance.

The sun finally sets just before 10pm

We parted ways but not before he told me the flashing lights on the Eiffel Tower would light up at 11pm and that gave me the idea of waiting around until dark. By now it was just past 9pm but still very bright outside.

I hung around, waiting inside and ate a horrible croque monsieur that was bland and goopy than cheesy and tasty with the thinnest slice of ham. To kill more time I bought a souvenir mug.

Then around 10pm people outside hollered, signaling that the tower was now lit up. So I took a few more shots and now very tired, walked down the stairs to the bottom. It wasn't too difficult though I knew I'd be hurting the next day.

Then from below looking up at the tower, it did look magnifique – a glowing golden colour.

Impressionable Works and Lives

Next on the Paris to-list was a visit to Musee d'Orsay.

Cheval a la herse by Pierre-Louis Rouillard at the entrance

My last trip in the mid-80s coincided when the museum first opened in 1986 and at that time it was refreshing to see a train station converted into a gallery, and it was airy and full of light thanks to the high ceilings.

Sculptures were placed around us as if they were in a garden and it was wonderful seeing them in their own space and not crammed together.

This time around though it was pretty crowded as it's understandable the museum has acquired a number of art works since then. The museum also underwent a recent revamp to organize the collection and crowd flow a bit better, even spilling upwards to the second and then fifth floors.

Alfred Jaquemart's Rhinoceros in front of Musee d'Orsay

What is also great for the most part is that major introductions to the themed galleries were presented in French, English and Spanish so that visitors could learn more about the works they were looking at; these were placed at both ends of the long darkened rooms so that everyone was on the same page regardless of where they started from.

Here the art works are carefully taken care of -- no natural light is shining on the paintings unlike some in the Louvre and staff were vigilant about making sure no one  took pictures. It was an environment respectful of the art and in turn educated visitors about enjoying the overall experience through memory rather than photographs.

In my case I learned a lot about the post-Impressionists called the Niubis who rejected naturalism and impressionism. The word comes from the Hebrew nevi'im or "prophets" where this group of artists regarded themselves as the messengers of a new art form based on interpretation of Paul Gaguin's ideas.

He had spearheaded this movement, expounding his theory to Paul Serusier who then influenced these Nubis and their works were demonstrated from 1888 to 1900.

An interior shot of the main hall in Musee d'Orsay

They were more focused on introspection, exploring the twists and turns of the human soul including death. Their work is characterized by simple forms and flat areas of colour. They also preferred more popular media, such as posters, panels, tapestries and even fans and theatre costumes. They liked putting symbols and dreams in their works and were influenced by Japanese prints.

Some of these artists included Franz von Stuck, Frederick Watts, Marianne Stokes, Edgard Maxence and Rene Menard.

The museum also has an amazing collection of furniture from the early 20th century in the Art Deco style. They seem keen to break away from the flourishes of the past centuries like Rococo and Baroque and instead creating organic yet elegant lines. This was evident in large bedroom pieces, desks and chairs.

On the fifth floor the museum is having an interesting exhibition not on an artist or a particular movement -- but on a woman who was the muse and patron for many painters.

Entitled "Misia, Queen of Paris", the show follows the life and times of Marie Sophie Olga Zenaide Godebska, known as Misia who had a turbulent love life that included three husbands.

The exhibition is a collection of paintings and photographs of her as well as a taste of the period in which she lived in.

Vincent van Gogh -- in the metro station, but is in the museum

She was born in St Petersburg in 1872 into a family of musicians and she learned to play piano, quite well but never made it her career. However she would play for friends privately and there are some paintings of her sitting by the piano.

Her first husband was Thadee Natanson, who, with his brothers, founded a cultural and artistic publication called La Revue Blanche (1889-1903) for its white cover, in Belgium.

The magazine was a magnet for writers and innovative artists of the period and it covered political, social and artistic issues.

While Misia didn't directly participate in this, she spent time with many of her husband's contributors -- Edouard Vuillard, Pierre Bonnard, Felix Vallotton and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, who were all purportedly all in love with her.

She the married again to Alfred Edwards in 1905, but soon after he cheats on her and she starts having an affair with Catalan painter Jose Marie Sert. It was he who introduced her to Serge de Daghilev and she became committed to helping the impressario, resulting in her becoming the "godmother" of the Ballets Russes.

A poster of the temporary exhibition on Misia

One of her girlfriends at the time was the inimitable Coco Chanel, who called Misia "Madame Verdurinska" for being an arbiter of taste and fashion. The exhibition has several pictures of the two together at gatherings.

However things went downhill a few years after she married Sert in 1920. He takes a mistress, a Georgian sculptress named Isabelle Roussadana Mdivani known as Roussy, and even lives with the couple in the Hotel Meurice.

Misia divorces Sert in 1927 and he marries his mistress. It seems Misia never got over being abandoned by him and her health begins to decline, suffering from severe eye problems that leave her almost blind. She also starts getting addicted to morphine and eventually dies in 1950.

It's a sad end, but she did live quite an amazing life at the time. And her influence is forever immortalized in the artists who loved her.

Misia, Queen of Paris
June 12 to September 9
Musee d'Orsay
1, rue de la Legion-d'Honneur
75007 Paris
+33 (0) 1 40 49 48 00
www.musee-orsay.fr

Something Old, Something New

The glass pyramid at the Louvre

Ah Paris. Why has it taken so long for me to revisit you again?

The last time I was in the City of Lights was when the glass pyramid was being built at the Louvre in the mid 1980s.

It was definitely time for an update.

Venus de Milo

My first order of business was to go to the Louvre and see as much as I could -- my first visit was one of those family trips to Europe where you see several countries in 20 days on a bus.

That meant we spent about half an hour in the revered museum -- where we of course saw the Mona Lisa, the headless Winged Victory of Samothrace and perhaps the large paintings by Eugene Delacoix, such as Liberty Leading the People and Theodore Gericault's Raft of Medusa.

So this time I had no specific deadlines and hoped that I could see as much as possible without my eyes blurring over and overall I think I did a pretty good job.

However the layout of the Louvre can be confusing and at times I felt like I was in a maze and could not get out; sometimes back tracking was the only way to do this as some gallery sections were closed.

I arrived relatively early and since I came from the metro, I was able to buy an admission ticket from downstairs and walk in right away. So to beat the crowds outside -- well sort off -- I headed off to see La Jaconda or Mona Lisa.

The signs pointing to Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece were very clear and within minutes I was in the room with many other people crowding around this small painting behind bullet-proof glass.

Detail of Josephine and Napoleon with their Chaumet crowns

We were all craning our necks trying to take pictures of her, but it was useless since there was severe reflection from the glass. Nevertheless she still is smiling perhaps with a hint of mischievousness, pleased that no one can catch her true likeness.

On the same first floor, I also managed to see The Winged Victor of Samothrace again as well as Delacroix and Gericault's works as well as the massive painting called The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon I by Jean-Louis David.

It's a dramatic and highly detailed work, portraying Napoleon starting a new kind of royalty. In it, the crowns were created especially for the French power couple by the French jewellery house Chaumet. That commission led the company to become the official jeweller to Napoleon and needless to say Chaumet continues to market its connection with the diminutive leader to this day. Pedigree is a selling point.

19th century Congolese sculpture of a bull

On the ground floor there's Aphrodite, or Venus de Milo, a lovely female torso that's sadly lost her arms. There's also a massive Egyptian section filled with the numerous coffins Egypt's kins were buried in. One wonders how they were transported way back when. There are also massive stone statues like Ramses II and the Code of Hammurabi, a giant black stone with laws carved into it for eternity.

I also saw the new wing dedicated to the arts of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. My favourite piece was that of bull from the 19th century from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The simple lines and the beautiful wood makes it so simple, refreshing and modern.

And I was also pleased to see some pieces from Canada, including a pillar made of cedar from the Kwakiatul nation and a mask of a bird from the Tsimshian.

Up on the second floor there were many Dutch paintings, such as The Virgin of Chancellor Rolin by Jan van Eyck, but also an interesting comparison of Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres' works.

CY Twombly's The Ceiling adds modernity to antiquities

In 1808 he painted a large canvas of The Bather. But the same figure appears again in 1828 in another work called The Small Bather, Interior of the Harem, and then again in 1862 in another painting featuring other women called The Turkish Bath.

Some artists really do recycle their ideas.

It was interesting going up to Napoleon III's apartments up a flight of wooden stairs into a series of rooms oozing with opulence that was completely over the top. There were enormous chandeliers dripping with crystal pieces, lavish velvet couches furniture, doors lined with gold, and rich thick silk brocade curtains.

However amongst all this ostentatious furniture were curious pieces mixed in, such as Deux Bacchantes (Clockwise) in one of the hallways. It looked like two silver nymphs dancing together, but their faces and figures are warped as if they were stretched and twisted.

Two literally twisted figures by Wim Delvoye

They are the work of Wim Delvoye, a Belgian artist whose work seems to shock people, but here the pieces seemed to blend in too well into the background and I wondered if people noticed these works were new. Visitors pointed out his other pieces, fabric pigs, but did they notice these silver-coloured sculptures as not quite fitting in?

And then I noticed some other things that stood out.

One of them is a fantastic ceiling in one of the Greek antiquities room painted by CY Twombly who died last year. Called The Ceiling, it features a number of yellow and almost black spheres floating around a blue sky, with some ancient Greek writing. The work was painted on canvas and then mounted on the ceiling, perhaps one of his last few works as it was completed in 2009.

And then I found this painting very amusing. Done by Jean-Simeon Chardin in 1779, it shows a monkey dressed up holding a brush and sitting by a canvas with brush in hand. This one called The Monkey Painter perhaps made fun of other artists who paint their own self portraits in a similar setting.

The Monkey Painter by Jean-Simeon Chardin

So instead of looking at the usual masterpieces, it was fun to try to find things that looked different to bring a new perspective to an old school museum.